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Tillerson: Daesh not completely defeated

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attends a press conference in Mexico on 2 February 2018 [Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu Agency]

February 14, 2018 at 4:18 am

US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson said Tuesday the end of major combat operations against the Daesh does not mean that the United States and its allies have permanently defeated the organization.

“The end of major combat operations does not mean we have achieved the enduring defeat of ISIS (Daesh)” he said.

Speaking in Kuwait during a meeting of the US-led international coalition against the organization, Tillerson said his country has decided to provide an additional assistance worth $200 million to stabilize the liberated areas in Syria.

In 2015, the United States began a war against the organization in Syria and Iraq through an alliance of more than 60 countries.

In December, the Iraqi government announced defeating the organization after regaining control of all areas seized by the group in northern Iraq in 2014. However, the organization is still fighting in some pockets in Iraq and not fully defeated in Syria.

The Washington Times reported last week that the United States does not intend to withdraw its troops from Iraq after victory over the organization, despite threats launched by Iraqi militias backed by Iran and threatened to target US forces.

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